Making A Splash With Triple A

atest press release from Wicklow Triple A Alliance, issued on Friday, August 6th 2021…

Wicklow Triple A Alliance would like to thank all of the collaborators in Wicklow who helped us run our Inclusive Summer Camp in Eire Og this year.

This year above all others, the need for supportive and inclusive activities has been highlighted. Over the last 18 months we have had a huge surge in demand for our support services. Mental health issues due to Covid and lockdowns have been at the top of the referral list. Everyone in Wicklow Triple A Alliance are unpaid volunteers and also carers to their own children with disabilities.

We have been very overstretched during this period and the increase in referrals for support have highlighted once again just how little is provided in this area for our community. We would like to see increased funding in this area and are calling on the support from local TD’s and Councillors to support us in sourcing such funding.

We were delighted to see such happy faces all round during the week, and are looking forward to recommencing our weekly Active Kids Academy classes in September as soon as we find a suitable venue to run them from.

We badly need to have a dedicated space where our members can meet, access counselling and support each other, and we would love to establish a publicly accessible sensory room onsite. This is something we have submitted for in the Wicklow County Development Plan.

Currently Wicklow Triple A Alliance does not receive any State funding. We rely on membership fees, volunteers – thanks Odhran and Sean for your amazing help at camp this week! – and small local grant aid funding in order to operate.

We are very grateful to the support given by Greystones Family Resource Centre, who provided tea and coffee and a bouncy castle today for our last day of camp. We look forward to working more with the GFRC team. We would also like to thank Eire Óg who agreed to rent us space on their grounds for the week. Their support and goodwill over the last year allowing us to use their grounds between lockdowns has been invaluable.

And finally we would like to thank Clara and the team in Wicklow Local Sports Partnership who provided funding to hire the brilliant Lisa and her team from Active Kids Academy for the week.